Junk-food ads aimed at kids come under fire

Kids in Canada are fed an average of seven TV ads per hour for foods and beverages that are high in fat and sugar. That's more than kids in the U.S. see every hour.Photo by
Photos.com

Canadian kids are targeted with more TV junk-food ads than kids in 10 other countries, including the U.S., a global study of TV advertising has found.

Children in Greece were exposed to the most food and beverage ads (nine TV ads per hour) compared with Canadian kids (seven TV ads per hour), but 80 per cent of the ads seen by Canadian kids were for foods high in fat and sugar, compared with 65 per cent in Greece.

Such predatory marketing of unhealthy foods to kids is contributing to rising childhood-obesity rates and should be banned, says Kim Raine, a University of Alberta health researcher and one of the authors of the study that was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Recent surveys show most provincial government decision-makers and average Albertans support such a ban, she adds.

"Marketing has a negative impact on children’s food choices," says Raine, a professor with the School of Public Health, "but food and beverage companies have no barriers in aggressively marketing their products to children.

"(A marketing ban) is not a cause-and-effect solution (for the childhood-obesity epidemic). It’s a very complicated issue, but we’ve got to start somewhere."

The plan is to start in Alberta, which is where the Canadian data for the global TV-advertising study was collected, Raine says.

"If we build sufficient momentum at the provincial level for changes to TV advertising, other provinces may learn from our efforts and advocate for similar changes. Ultimately, a (countrywide ban) is the goal."

Almost a third of young Canadians, aged two to 17, are overweight or obese. Obese children have been found to have an elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, joint problems and mental illness.

A big concern is kids under the age of eight who are too young to understand the persuasive intent of advertising, Raine says.

"Of course, I’m over eight and I still get sucked in (by advertising)," she says, laughing. "We’re all influenced by advertising messages. I think if we weren’t, companies wouldn’t put so much money into making those advertisements."

A ban would not only protect kids, but help parents, whose efforts to teach their kids how to eat healthy are undermined by these other messages, she says.

"Fast food every once in a while is fine, but it’s becoming more and more of a habitual behaviour among families and that’s a problem," Raine says.

Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdesky says he is quite alarmed at the rising rates of obesity in children.

"This is not an acceptable trend at all and we have to work quickly and collaboratively to get it fixed."

The government already has many programs promoting nutrition, healthy eating, active living and positive well-being, "but I think we need to do more . . . because we’re passionate about this, I assure you," he says.

The issue of childhood obesity and how to curb it was discussed at a meeting of health ministers last month in Newfoundland and "we agreed to do whatever we could to support a broader campaign to raise awareness and reduce those statistics," the minister said.

He noted Alberta is an active member of the Public Health Network Council (PHNC), a federal-provincial-territorial group, whose purpose is to find a way to decrease the amount of unhealthy foods and beverages consumed by children, including the impact of how these products are currently being marketed to children.

Childhood obesity is also on the agenda of Alberta’s first wellness forum that Zwozdesky is hosting Dec. 1-3 in Edmonton. Health and Wellness is inviting 250 stakeholders from many areas, including municipalities, schools, justice, food manufacturers and producers.

"We’re taking a very hands-on approach," Zwozdesky says. "We’re trying to rivet the public’s attention on early detection of problems and prevention of problems, being more proactive rather than reactive."

As for a ban on the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children, advertising on television is a national jurisdictional issue everywhere in Canada outside of Quebec, Zwozdesky says.

Critics, not wanting government to regulate the free market, argue that parents have the power to turn off the TV and stop kids from watching ads for unhealthy foods and beverages. They also have power over the foods their kids eat.

True, says Raine, but "I’m a parent and I’m certainly well aware that when you’re busy, it’s very easy to get convinced by your kid to make one of these (unhealthy) choices," which are marketed as cheap, fast and convenient.

Sweden is the only country in the world — and Quebec the only province or territory in Canada — that prohibits advertising to children. The latter ban dates back to 1980, and was originally enacted to redress the commercialization of childhood with such things as toy ads, but has inadvertently fought childhood obesity, as well, Raine explains.

French-speaking Quebec kids have a lower rate of obesity, but that could be because of genetics, she says. There is no clear cause and effect of not being bombarded with junk food ads.

"But what we’re seeing is a culture (in Quebec) of healthy eating, and maybe (the ban on junk-food ads) is contributing to that culture, which is a little healthier, has a little more family meals, is a little slower, and has a little less consumption of fast-food products," Raine says.

"Thirty years ago, the idea of banning tobacco advertising was probably looked at as totally crazy, too. But in combination with other factors, it has helped create a culture where it’s not normal to smoke anymore. That’s what we need to be working toward, a culture where it’s not normal to be reliant on fast foods and junk foods anymore."

Raine and her research team last spring conducted a survey of 1,200 Albertans and found more than 80 per cent favour such a ban. The idea also has the support of more than two-thirds of decision-makers with the Alberta government, schools, workplaces and media surveyed, she says.

A recent Canadian survey found similar results, with 82 per cent of respondents from across the country indicating they would like limits placed on the marketing of low-nutritional-value foods to children.

"I think the more we can show that people are behind this type of thing, the more likely policy-makers (on a provincial and federal level) are to be willing to take the risk to do something bold," Raine says.

Research shows that more than 30 per cent of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, physical activity, and avoiding tobacco use and alcohol misuse.

Besides Canada, Greece and the U.S., other countries included in the global TV advertising study, conducted between October 2007 and March 2008, were Germany, Italy, Sweden, China, Spain, Brazil, the U.K. and Australia.

The study

University of Alberta researchers taped four channels — Global, CTV, YTV and Teletoon — in January 2008 for four days (two weekends and two weekdays), from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. as part of a global TV advertising study.

They found the kids watching those channels were targeted with seven food and beverage ads per hour — more than kids in 10 other countries — 80 per cent of them promoting unhealthy products.

The foods advertised on the children’s channels, YTV and Teletoon, were higher in sugar.

Related Posts

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.